Tool guide



S. DONIGER July 16, 1940.

TOOL GUIDE Filed June 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENT OR.

lY/G'E 1?.

Juzvaez D0 ATTORNEY.

1 July 16, 1940- s. DONIGERY Filed June 14, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orFrcE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to tool guides and more particularly to guides for tools held in the hand of the operator while performing'its function.

Up to now and as far as I am aware, and at this 1 time most picture framemats are cut by a professional mat cutter who from long years of experience has acquired a trained wrist which enables him to hold his knife in a fixed steady position that results in the mats commonly seen around all pictures. My device places in the hands of the unskilled and untrained worker an instrument that will do this work and be a substitute for the many years of training required to become a professional mat cutter.

The objects of the invention are to provide a tool guide by which a tool may be operated to cut, emboss or the like with precision under impulse of hand operation; to enable a cut to be made at a precise angle throughout the length of the cut; more specifically to enable mats for pictures or the like to be cut with beveled window openings with facility and precision; to avoid necessity of marking each mat or other article to be out; to enable a cut to be made either at an acute angle to the mat or perpendicular thereto as desired; to holdthe knife very rigidly at the proper angle throughout the cutting movement; to provide a structure usable by operators not highly skilledin mat cutting but withthe results of skilled operators using the usual method of cutting; to obtain straight, smooth and uniform cut edges; to avoid any deviation from a straight line out due to thickness of mat or other causes; to hold the mat securely during the cutting operation; to enable the operator to apply holding force by natural pressure of his left hand and apply cutting motion to the knife by natural manipulation of his right hand; to avoid parts likely to get out of order; to overcome tedious and time-consuming operations; to enable one guide to be used for operations of cutting, scoring, embossing, ruling, bevelling and trimming; to provide a sturdy but economical instrument and one which is conducive to speed and ease of use; to promote inexpensive production of mats and the like; to secure simplicity of construction and operation; and to obtain otheradvantages and results as may be brought out in' the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Figures 1 and 2 are top plan andundemeath plan respectively of a tool guide constructed in accordance with my invention;

. Figure 3'is a perspective view of the tool guide In use Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rider forming part of the tool guide; H Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tool 5 guide in use as upon line 5-5 of Figure 3; and

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views of the rider as ufpon lines 6-6 and-'|--'| respectively of Figure In the specific embodiment of my invention 11- 10 lustrated in said drawings, the reference numeral l0 designates the plate or body portion of my improved guide for tools which is preferably of suitable material such as metal, Bakelite or other composition having appropriate width and 15 having a length greater than the length of out which it is desired to make by use of the device. This plate is shown as having a longitudinal slot H therein of appropriate length and width to permit a knife blade l2 to pass for making the 20 desired cut in a mat or other work sheet I3. The slot H extends longitudinally of the plate as near to the ends thereof as the character of mate-. rial comprising the body portion will permit without sacrifice of necessary rigidity of the plate as 25 a whole.

On the upper face of plate. In is mounted a track l4, said track being situated longitudinally parallel to the slot II at one side thereof and of a length preferably somewhat in excess of the 30 length of the slot. As here shown, the track preferably has a flaring or dove-tail crosssection so that its upper portion has a greater width than the lower portion of the said track toward the plate. Furthermore, as here shown, the track is 35 longitudinally recessed centrally of itself at its upper face and within the recessed portion thereof are a plurality of screws l5 which project downwardly through the track into the plate for mounting the track in fixed position upon the 6 plate.

A rider I6 is mounted on the track and plate so as to slide longitudinally with respect there to and with the underside of the rider engaging the plate so as to be steadied thereby as the rider 5 is slid. The underside of the rider is provided with a longitudinal dove-tailed groove [1 which ,fits over the track and keeps the rider assembled in position next the plate and at the same time enables the rider to slide upon the track. 501' It is to be observed that the rider thus has a construction which obtains a snug sliding fit both with respect to the track and with respect to the plate so there will be no wobbling of the rider or other deviation from a true straight- I the knife to hold it rigidly while cutting. Where line movement thereof. Neither can the rider lift from the track or plate, and because of the overlies slot ll in the plate. At the side where the rider overlies the edge of the plate, said rider is provided with a guiding slit N3 of sufficient length and width to receive the knife blade I2 and enable the blade to pass downwardly through the slit next the edge of the plate and make a perpendicular longitudinal out along the work sheet immediately adjacent said edge of the plate. The slit is just wide enough to frictionally receive the knife and preferably the metal of the rider next to and on the outside of the slit has sufficient resiliency to obtain a frictional binding action upon the side faces of the rider overlies the longitudinal slot H of the plate, said rider is provided with a sloping slit l9 which also is of appropriate dimension in length and width to receive the blade therein and guide the blade with respect to the work sheet as the rider and knife are moved along for obtaining a beveled edge where the work sheet is out. Also as to this slit, frictional rigid retention of the knife is obtained by resilient pressure of the metal next, the slit .at the outside thereof obtaining rigid binding action with respect to the blade so the blade cannot deviate from its straight line cutting action. While I have here shown the sloping slit E9 to extend inwardly from both ends of the rider, and the slit [8 at only one end of the rider, it is within the scope of the invention to reverse or otherwise vary this particularity. Furthermore, by reference to Figures 6 and 7 it will be observed that the inward end of slits l8 and 19 also slope so as to enable the user to hold the knife in a sloping position as indicated as being done in Figure 3. The construction of rider and including its slits and mounting is such that it holds the knife blade in a fixed rigid position at one of two angular positions and to enable the knife to make a straightline, even cut in a mat or the like with precision and without the possibility of the rider either coming oif the track or deviating from its straight-line out even under the great pressure acting upon the knife when cutting through thick or tough material. I

Also mounted on the track M are a pair of ad-. justable brackets 20 which extend toward slot I l and carry rulers or other gages 2| next to and longitudinally of said slot. At one end of the track where the cut of the work sheet is to be initiated, I have shown the bracket shorter than the bracket at the other end of the slot, and I have shown the ruler situated between the track and slot, said ruler extending from the edge of as adjustable stops for the rider and enable the rulers to indicate the desired distance where the knife begins and ends its out. Adjustment of the brackets and rulers will therefore obtain the de sired length of cut and the plate can be conveniently placed upon the mat with the inner ends of the rulers the desired distances from the edges of the mat without any requirements to mark the mat before starting to make the cuts.

For retaining the brackets 26 in adjusted positions, I have shown set screws 20' extending downwardly through the brackets for making frictional gripping contact with the upper face of the track. The permitted distance of sliding of the rider may therefore be pre-determined and the beginning and end of the cut made cannot be accidentally or otherwise extended too far either way, since the brackets act as an automatic stop for amplitude of permitted motion for the rider and knife. This is a very important advantage in mat cutting for preventing overlapping cuts, which heretofore was a matter of considerable difficulty andrequired much skill on the part of the operator. In cutting mats with my improved device, the cut is preferably made with the back side of the mat facing upward. The accuracy with which the blade is held obtains a clean straight edge to the cut at the under face of the mat, and since the thinnest part of the blade is toward the bottom (which will be the front face of the finished mat) a slight overcut not more than 1 times the thickness of the mat may be present without showing in the front face of the finished mat.

The plate likewise is provided with a pair of transverse slots 22 extending inwardly substantially from the longitudinal edge furthest from the track and next to each of these slots 22 is mounted a ruler 23 so the situation of the plate may be readily controlled by the user merely by placing the desired marking of the rulers at the edge of the mat or work sheet. It is thus very convenient to place the plate in proper position with respect to one edge of the work sheet and to control the length of the cut with respect to two other edges all Without having to make any marks on the work sheet. The device is particularly adapted for cutting out the window openings for mats for pictures, although other uses may be made of the device. the device may be used for embossing purposes by substituting a blunt instrument in place of the knife. It alsomay be stated at this time that the last mentioned rulers 23, 23 are pivotally secured to the plate as by rivets 24 enabling the rulers to be swung entirely on to the top side of the plate when the device is not in use or when being shipped or stored.

I have also shown next the ends of the plate on the upper side thereof suitable handles 25, 25 by which the device may be lifted or otherwise moved around. It is desirable to prevent the plate from slipping in use with respect to the work sheet-or mat, and for this purpose I have shown frictional facing elements 26 situated on the underside of the plate. The frictional elements may be constituted in any-desired mannor, as for instance by knurling the metal, or if For instance,

The knife cutting through tough cardboard is a difiicult job as it is very diflicult to hold a mat down without shifting while it isbeing out. By

my instrument, the user is enabled to rest his left hand upon the plate and apply pressure naturally thereupon while manipulating the knife with his right hand. fhis arrangement, together with the emery or other frictional under surface on the plate holds the plate and mat from relative displacement during the cutting operation.

I claim:

1. A tool guide comprising a plate having a longitudinal slot therein, a rider having means for guiding a knife inserted through said slot, and rulers attached to the plate and extendable in a direction perpendicular to said slot .for locating the cut effected by the knife at a fixed distance from and parallel to an edge of the work sheet being cut, and other rulers parallel to said slot for determining the length of cut to be made.

2. A knife guide for cutting sheets, comprising a plate having a longitudinal edge for superposing upon the sheet to be cut with the part of the plate next said edge juxtaposed upon the part of the sheet next to where the cut is to be made and with the said edge adjacent the line of cut parallel thereto, a track on said plate parallel to said edge and offset therefrom at one side thereof, a rider on said track having interlocking slidable engagement therewith and prevented thereby from lateral displacement from the track, said rider also having sliding engagement with the face of the plate between the track and said edge, and having a knife-receiving and holding slit immediately beyond said edge and extending in the same general direction as the said edge, whereby a knife in the slit protruding at its point next said edge is prevented from flexing as said knife and rider are moved together longitudinally of the track and edge and the cut is made in the sheet.

3. A knife guide for cutting sheets, comprising a plate having a longitudinal slot for superposing upon the sheet to be cut with the slot juxtaposed to the part of the sheet where the cut is to be made and with the plate adjacent the line of cut on both sides thereof, a track parallel to said slot and ofiset therefrom at one side thereof. a rider on said track having interlocking slidable engagement therewith and prevented thereby from lateral displacement from the track, said rider also having sliding engagement with the face of the plate next the slot, and having a knife-receiving and holding slit immediately over said slot and extending in the same general direction as the slot whereby a knife in the slit protruding at its point into said slot is prevented from flexing as said knife and rider are moved together longitudinally of the track and the cut is made in the sheet.

4. A tool guide comprising in combination with a plate having a longitudinal track thereon, a rider on said track having interlocking slidable engagement therewith and thereby prevented from lateral displacement from the track, said rider also having sliding engagement with the face of the plate, and said rider having a toolreceiving slit extending inwardly from an end of the rider and extending from top to bottom of the rider and the part of the rider adjacent said slit resiliently gripping said tool inserted in said slit.

5. A tool guide comprising in combination with a plate having a longitudinal track on the upper side thereof, a tool-guiding rider on said track, and friction increasing means on the underside of said plate for enabling the same to be held by hand pressure on the plate immovably upon a work sheet while the rider and tool are moved in a direction longitudinally of the track and with a pressure applied on the tool both downwardly toward the work sheet and longitudinally of the track.

6. A tool guide comprising in combination with a plate having a longitudinal slot therein, a track on said plate parallel to said slot and offset to the side thereof thereby leaving a portion of the plate exposed between the track and slot, a

rider on said track having a portion thereof extending from the track to the slot and with the underside of the rider engaging the portion of the plate between the track and slot, a bracket also adjustably mounted on the track and extending therefrom across the said slot, and a ruler pivoted to said bracket next its end away from the track and beyond the slot whereby the rider may slide between the track and ruler and engage said bracket as a stop.

SUNDEL DONIQER. 

